The Optimist

There is a lot to be said about the joys of cellaring your own wines. The excitement of pulling a treasured bottle out of your cellar and reliving your purchasing experience some 5-10 years earlier.

Bringing this treasured bottle to the dinner table where you recount every word that both you and the winemaker uttered and delivering this information as though you actually helped in making the wine itself.

Yes, there is a lot to be said in cellaring your own wine.

Having ignited the spark and given that you are wondering what should I do next, well there are a few rules that you need to abide by when creating and maintaining a cellar.

1. You should try wherever possible to maintain a constant temperature within the cellaring environment.

2. You should not have your wines exposed to light.

3. You should always buy more than you drink.

4. If you find that you are running out of space in your cellar then buy less but more expensive wines or build a bigger cellar.

5. Do not be tempted to drink your prized wines too early.

6. Do not drink your prized wines too late (this is far worse than point 5).

7. If you are buying wines to cellar always ensure that your wines will last for a minimum of 5 years in your cellar, but preferably 10 years+.

8. Buy the wines that YOU like, as buying wine is all about YOUR personal taste and not someone else's.

9. Cellar wines that you have personally tasted prior to purchase wherever possible as you will then understand the cellaring time of these wines.

Cellaring wines is not only a hobby but a passion.

Long live the passion.